Adjustable stilt.



No. 680,454. Patented Aug. I3, I90l. T. B. GARRETSON.

ADJUSTABLE STILT.

(Application filed Dec. 18, 1900.)

(No Model.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS l3. GARRETSON, OF OSKALOOSA, I OWVA.

ADJ USTABLE STI LT.

SEECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 680,454, dated August 13, 1901.

Application filed December 18, 1900. Serial No. 40,278. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS B. GAREETsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Oskaloosa, in the county of Mahaska and State of Iowa, have inventeda new and useful Adjustable Stilt, of which the following is a specifica tion.

This invention relates to stilts, and has for its object to provide for a vertical adjustment of the step, so as to locate the latter at any predetermined distance from the foot of the stilt-standard, and also to facilitate the adjustment of the step and to maintain thestrength and rigidity thereof. It is also designed to provide for adjusting the handle of the standard, so as to accommodate the same to the adjustment of the step and maintain a fixed relation between the handle and the step and at the same time to permit of an independent adjustment of either the step or handle to fit the stilt to persons of difierent heights.

With these and other objects in view the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claim, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the .scope' of the claim without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a stilt constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a detail 1ongitudinal sectional view showing the adj 11stable connection between the handle and the stilt-standard. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view showing the adjustable connection between the step and the standard. Fig. 4is a detail transverse sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the draw- 1ngs.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the standard of the stilt, which is preferably formed by an angular beam or bar of wood, so as to be light and durable. Adjacent to the lower or foot end of the standard there is provided a plurality of headed studs or projections 2, carried by the same side of the standard and arranged at equal predetermined intervals. The adjustable step comprises a flat attaching-plate 3, having a plurality of keyhole-slots 4 for the reception of the corresponding headed studs, whereby the plate is detachably connected to the standard. The step proper is in the form of a bracket 5,projeoted laterally outward from an intermediate portion of the plate, preferably adjacent to thelower end thereof. The attach ing-plate is preferably flat, so as to rest evenly against the flat side of the standard, and is made of metal, so that the step may be integral therewith. The bottom end of the plate is provided with a bifurcation 6 instead of a keyhole-slot, so as to facilitate the engagement of the bottom end of the plate. Thus the plate is connected to the standard at points above and below the step, thereby securing a strong and rigid connection. At the upper end of the standard there is provided an adjustable handle comprising the opposite members 7, which are duplicates and are designed to embrace opposite sides of the standard. The upper end of each member has an integral outwardly-inclined ear or extension 8, which projects upwardly beyond the top of the standard and is offset laterally therefrom. Extending between the opposite ears and connecting the outer ends thereof there is a cylindrical hand-grasp 9, preferably formed of wood, so that the hands of the user need not come in contact with the inetal parts of the handle. This hand-grasp is preferably in the form of a wooden tubular cyl-' inder, so as to receive a metal rod or bolt 10, that connects the outer ends of the handle members, so as to give more strength than an all-wood connection. As best indicated in Fig. 4 of the drawings, it will be seen that each handle member is provided with opposite inwardly-directed longitudinal flanges 11, which are designed to snugly embrace the adjacent edges of the angular standard, so as to prevent the handle from accidentally turning thereon. To hold the handle against accidental longitudinal movement upon the standard, a bolt or similar removable fastening 12 is passed transversely through the opposite handle members and the standard and is located adjacent to the lower ends of said members, one such fastening being sufficient, as the flanges l1 prevent turning of the handle. Furthermore, the said members are connected to the opposite ends of the handgrasp, so as to form spring members, which are sprung or snapped upon the standard, so as'to tightly embrace the latter, and thereby prevent any looseness of the handle.

In order that the handle may be conveniently adj usted longitudinally upon the standard, the latter is provided with a plurality of transverse perforations for the adj ustable reception of the fastening 12, whereby the hand-grasp may be extended beyond the top of the standard, it being at its inner or lowermost limit in the drawings.

When the step has been adjusted upwardly or downwardly, it is of course desirable that the handle be correspondingly adjusted, so as to preserve the predetermined relation between the step and the handle, and to provide for this contingency certain of the perforations in the top of the standardas, for instance, those indicated by the numeral 13- are arranged at intervals corresponding to the intervals of the studs or projections 2, upon which the step is adj ustably supported ,whereby the handle may be accurately adjusted to maintain the predetermined distance between the step and the handle or hand-grasp.

To provide for an intermediate adjustment, so as to accommodate the stilt to persons of diiferent heights, intermediate perforations 14 are formed between the adjacent perforations 13, whereby the handle may be adj usted to increase or diminish the distance between the step and the hand-grasp.

What is claimed is- A stilt, comprising a standard, laterallyprojecting studs carried by the'standard, and a step, having an attaching-plate projecting above and below the step, the upper portion of the plate having one or more keyhole-slots for the interchangeable reception of the studs, and a bottom bifurcation for the interchange able reception of the studs.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS E. GARRETSON.

Witnesses:

CECIL M. CARPENTER, EDWIN Z. Ross. 

